The tunnels stretched through the city like veins, each darkened passage offering no refuge, only the relentless echoes of their own footsteps. Adrian's mind was racing, tugging at the frayed edges of his focus. The shadows cast by the dim, flickering lights around them made it feel as though the darkness itself was closing in. It weighed upon him, smothering, but there was no time for doubt. They had no choice but to keep moving.
Behind him, he could hear the uneven footsteps of Claire, Emma, and Sofia, each carrying the same grim resolve, the same urgency to survive. But their situation was growing worse by the minute. Talon. The name hung in the air like smoke, suffocating, familiar in the worst possible way. Adrian's teeth ground together, the burning anger mixing with a sickening sense of dread. Talon was a ghost. A mistake he had buried long ago. He wasn't supposed to be here.
"Stay close," Adrian muttered under his breath, his voice steady but laced with an edge. "Don't fall behind."
Claire's voice came back, low and tight. "What the hell is Talon doing here? Thought he was buried six feet under."
Adrian didn't answer immediately. The truth was, he didn't know. Talon had been one of them, an operative, a man once believing in the same fight. Somewhere down the line, though, he had turned, sold out. He had become the very thing they were fighting against. And here he was, standing in their path like a shadow from the past.
As Adrian's group moved deeper into the cold, damp tunnels, a faint hum of distant voices filtered through the walls. Mercenaries, no doubt. The ones who'd been chasing them all night. But Talon's appearance complicates everything. It's not just about survival anymore. It's personal. And when it's personal, mistakes get made.
Adrian's hand instinctively tightened on his gun as he stopped at the corner, peering around it with cautious precision. He could hear the soft, calculated steps of Talon drawing closer, his presence like an unwelcome specter. But his voice was louder than ever.
"I know you can hear me, Adrian," Talon's voice called from the dark, rich with that dangerous confidence. "I knew you'd come crawling back to the tunnels. This is where it all ends, you know? I always thought you were too smart for this, too committed to the cause. But look at you now—fleeing like a rat, holding onto that file like it means something."
Adrian's blood ran cold. Talon knew. He knew about the file. And if he knew, then it was only a matter of time before the whole city knew too.
"Where's your honor now, Adrian?" Talon taunted. "It's all about survival for you now, isn't it? Isn't that what you always say? The mission's bigger than the individuals? But you're running. Again. Why?
Adrian's grip on the gun tightened as he stepped forward, his voice low and growling. "You don't get to talk about honor. You lost that the day you sold us out, Talon.
The echo of his voice in the tunnel sounded almost alien to his ears, the shadow of another man. He wasn't a soldier fighting a cause anymore; not for the same purpose, at least. Now, he was fighting for what remained: the team, the mission. Most of all, the truth-the file-that might bring this whole damn system down.
Talon stepped forward, out of the dark. His face was more gaunt than Adrian remembered, his eyes sharper, colder, with a glint of something dangerous, something Adrian couldn't quite place. He wore the same fatigues from years ago, but his posture was different now-more confident, like the predator he had become.
"Well, well. Adrian Carter," Talon mused, inspecting him like a prize. "I guess we really did have a good run, didn't we? But let's not pretend we're anything alike anymore. You've lost your way, and you're just too damn stubborn to admit it."
Adrian's mind was racing, while every fiber of his being screamed to keep moving, to run, to get Sofia and the file to safety, but he could not look away. Talon was a ghost, yes, but more than that, he was a threat. And threats needed to be dealt with, especially when they carried the kind of knowledge that could change everything.
The first jolt of warning came from Claire's voice-a sharp whisper in his ear. "Adrian, we need to go. Now."
He didn't turn around, riveting his gaze on Talon. For the first time in many years, his staring match was with the Past-and it was not about to let go.
"Where's your loyalty, Talon?" Adrian spat, and the words cut like a razor. "You think this world is gonna get better by playing for both sides? You think you can sit on the fence forever? You're a coward. A traitor."
Talon's eyes flashed, and for one brief, shining moment, Adrian saw beneath the cold façade of armor-a hairline fracture in his shields. It was there and then gone.
"You're wrong, Adrian," Talon replied, his voice low, dangerous. "I'm not playing both sides. I'm playing the winning side. And right now, you're losing. That file? It's not gonna save you. Nothing will."
The tension in the air was thick and suffocating, Adrian could feel it. The storm outside might have raged with its rain and wind, but this was a different kind of storm: a storm of words, of old wounds that had never quite healed, of betrayal and vengeance.
The sound of footsteps echoed down the tunnel, closer now. The mercenaries were closing in. But Adrian didn't move. He had only one thing on his mind-taking down Talon, once and for all. The rest could wait.
Without warning, Talon lunged, a blur of motion. Adrian barely had time to react. He brought his gun up, but Talon was already there-fast and relentless, using the shadows to his advantage. Adrian could feel the weight of the fight now, his pulse quickening as they grappled in the narrow passageway, each of them trying to gain the upper hand.
In the chaos, he could feel the sharp sting of a blade cutting across his arm. Pain flared through him, but he didn't flinch. Instead, he twisted, bringing his knee up into Talon's gut, forcing him back.
Claire's voice cut through the noise. "Adrian, we've got company!"
Adrian's gaze snapped forward, to the shadows ahead. The mercenaries were closing in, too many of them. He couldn't afford to lose focus on Talon. But he knew, as much as it pained him, this fight had to end now. For good.
With one final push, Adrian twisted, forcing Talon against the wall. The gun pressed to his temple, cold steel that felt as though it could tear him apart.
"You were always weak, Talon," Adrian said, his voice quiet but firm. "And now, you're a dead man walking."
But Talon's smirk never wavered. "Not today, Adrian. You're too late."
The mercenaries were closing in, and Adrian knew that if they didn't make their move now, they were all dead. He dropped his gun to the floor, slamming Talon's head into the concrete with one last blow. He didn't have time to watch him fall. The storm was coming, and they had to run or else they would never make it out alive.
"Move!" Adrian shouted.
Claire was already in motion, her eyes scanning the dark ahead, gun raised and ready. Emma was right at her back, and Sofia… Sofia, clutching the file, right there with the same chill of determination across her face.
They ran.
The storm outside had nothing on the storm inside, and Adrian knew they were a long way from being able to outrun either of them. But tonight, they ran. Always running.